Fuse 8 n’ Kate: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
I’m just going to give away the game and break down exactly how this podcast plays out between Kate and myself. As you will recall, I’m a parent of two small children. Kate is not. So when we read this book, Kate became a full-throated supported of Team Mouse, while I put all my money down on Team Run-Ragged Kid. Listen and you’ll hear how clearly delineated the line is between parents and non-parents.
Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or your preferred method of podcast selection.
Show Notes:
– In case you’re curious what tome I’m talking about here, this is the marvelous book that, honestly, was the best purchase my husband ever made on behalf of our children.
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– This the last time this boy will ever smile again.
– At one point, Kate points out that there’s a news article taped to the fridge that appears to be a car accident. What is going on here?
– The sudden, brief appearance of EVIL MOUSE!!!
– All right. Add in your two cents. Are these Hawaiian trees? I say no.
– What is up with that last instruction? Isn’t that just asking for trouble?
– I was actually able to find the Peanuts strip that referenced this book. And voila! From May 25, 1995:
– Here are the sequels I mentioned:
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
If You Give a Pig a Pancake
If You Give a Take a Mouse to the Movies
If You Give a Take a Mouse to School
If You Give a Pig a Party
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
If You Give a Dog a Donut
If You Give a Give a Mouse a Brownie
“If You Give a Bird a Bundt Cake”, Kate’s suggestion, is completely up for grabs if anyone wants to write that.
– Honestly I looked everyone online but I could not find an image of the bronze sculpture of that cat in Presidential Library for George Bush where it’s sleeping on this book. Internet fail!
– I know you wanted to see it. Here is Michelle Obama reading the book in question:
– Here’s the post from I’m Here, I’m Queer, What the Hell Do I Read? for If You Give a Gay Mouse a Cookie. Here’s a quick peek at it:
– Back by popular demand . . . Children’s Stories Made Horrific: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Honestly, I’m amazed that in my searching I somehow missed The Toast’s fellow piece where the book is interpreted by Ayn Rand.
– And finally. The question that was on all of your minds…. How old was Archie Bunker exactly when All In the Family started? 47 at the start. Phew! Still got seven years there.
Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate
About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
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In answer to your question about parodies, my own If You Give the Puffin a Muffin came out recently. It’s a sequel to my book The Angry Little Puffin. While not a direct parody, it uses the circular style of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. In my book Puffin does not want a muffin and politely refuses. He goes on to complain that just because Puffin rhymes with muffin it does not mean he wants to eat one.
Oo! That’s close enough for me! Thanks for the heads up.
FYI – there are totally trees like that in Hawaii! Hell, they have pine trees here for pete’s sake.
siiiiigh
Fine, Kate.
I haven’t had a chance to listen to the podcast. Did anyone explain why the picture is hung with Scotch tape instead of a magnet?
You know, I thought about bringing it up with her and then blanked at it at the time. It’s not just the picture, though. That car accident article is also held up with tape. These people have something against magnets, that’s for sure.
I thought the newspaper picture on the refrigerator is a Far Side cartoon
Ooo. Best theory to date.